Brain Games For Seniors: Improving Your Brain Health

The brain is one of the many things that change as you age. Your brain is responsible for many functions, including how you think, plan, and make decisions. As you age, you commonly see changes in your cognitive abilities. Many individuals have trouble multitasking, remembering detailed information, or paying attention.

While you can’t stop your brain from aging or changing, keeping your mind active with brain games is a great way to keep your cognitive functions sharp.  

Do Brain Games Work?

Understanding the effects of brain games and whether they work is complicated. Some brain games claim that your memory or cognitive skills will improve after a few minutes of playing the game. Others may suggest that you’ll decrease your dementia risk or improve your overall brain health. The truth is that while there are benefits to brain games, many claims are part of the game's marketing.   

No game will transform your mind into what you had as a young adult. However, there is observational evidence that regular mental activity, which you can get from games, does reduce dementia risk. Another study found that board games had improved partial working memory in seniors, while some online training games may help with mild cognitive impairment.  

Brain Games For Brain Health

A brain game can be any game or activity that challenges the brain and engages your mind. A few popular brain games include:

Sudoku

Sudoku is a popular puzzle game originating in Japan based on the logical placement of numbers within a 9x9 grid. The goal of Sudoku is to fill out the grid so that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 without overlapping. It’s the perfect puzzle to enjoy with different difficulty levels to continue challenging your brain. 

Word Puzzles

Word puzzles are perfect for keeping a sharp memory. A word puzzle can be an online game, board game, or card game that tests your language ability. Word puzzles include crosswords, word searches, Scrabble, and Wordle. Like Sudoku, many word puzzles are great to play alone, although others, such as Scrabble, make a fun partner activity. 

Bingo

Bingo might not feel like a brain game, but it does encourage you to multitask. Bingo requires you to listen for a number and letter combo, then search for that combination across your boards. The physical aspects of bingo are also great for hand-eye coordination.   

Chess

Chess is a game that is all about strategy. It can be an intimidating game to pick up, but once you understand the rules and moves, you’ll find it’s a quick-moving puzzle packed with fun. Traditional chess is enjoyed on a board with two players, but if you don’t have a friend to play with, there are online chess games that allow you to play with other players worldwide or against a computer. 

Brain Games With Visiting Angels

Games aren’t always fun alone, and the caregivers at Visiting Angels are happy to step in and provide companionship while you boost your brain. Our caregivers enjoy spending time with clients and are happy to provide some friendly competition for board and card games. They can even help you find local game nights and provide transportation to nearby meetups. 

Companionship is essential, but it’s not the only service we provide at Visiting Angels. Our team of compassionate caregivers can assist with various nonmedical tasks to help you age safely in place. Many seniors rely on our caregivers for light housekeeping, cooking, medication reminders, mobility assistance, and more.

Contact our Cullman office to learn more about our at-home care services.